Footwear



July 2, 1940. HAmgo' I 2,206,756

FOOTWEAR Filed Dec. 16, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 2, 1940. J $HAP|RO 2,206,756

FOOTWEAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 16, 1938 II C I 1; 4%

Merit???" mes 6 7"6 Patented July 2, 1949 UNlTED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE FOOTWEAR James Shapiro, Brookline, Mass. Application December 16,1938, Serial No. 246,022

Claims. (01. 36-45) This invention pertains tofootwear, and relates more particularly to shoes of the pump type. Such shoes are unprovided with retaining means such aslaces, buttons orthe like, and must have a sufficiently tight mat the top margin of the upper to hold them firmly on the foot. As pumps are commonly provided with high heels, the foot tends to slip forward and consequently the top edge of the upper, at the throat end of the footreceiving opening, tends tocut into the flesh of the foot, aneffect particularlynoticeable when the wearer is at all overweight. This causes great discomfort and sometimes even permanent injury, and although this effect may besomewhat relieved after the pump has beenworn for a considerable period, due to the stretching of the uppermaterial at the forward end of the throat opening, any comfort resultingtherefrom is ob tained at the sacrifice of good fit and good looks. Various expedients have been proposed for remedying the above diff culty, such, for instance,

as the application to the edge of the upper of a removable shield, for instance of rubber, Celluloid, metal or the like, designed to provide a round or blunt bearing surface against which the forwardpart of the foot maypress; the use of l a piece of leather or other sheet material disposed to embrace the edge of the upper proper at the throat and which is usually stitched or otherwise attached to the upper so asto become a permanentpart of the latter and toprovide a thickened edge; or the formation of the upper at the forward end of the throat opening so as to be capable of stretching transversely, thereby to simulatethe effect of long wear. However this procedure sacrifices looks and good fit in order to obtain the desired comfort, and alsocomplicates the lasting operation, since if ashoe upper be unduly elastic at its upper portion, it is difficult to avoid undersizing the shoe in lasting.

Thus none of the prior expedients fully solves the problem or meets the requirements of the retail trade or of good and economical shoe making, and it is the object of the present invention to provide a pump having the edge of the upper at the throat end of thefoot-receiving opening so paddedas to afford: adequate comfort of the foot but so designedand arranged that it does not detract from the appearance of'the shoe or decrease its useful life and at the same time to, permit the shoeto be made economically by usual and practical factory operations.

In attaining this object, the present invention contemplates providing the edge of the upper at the throat end of the foot receiving opening with a rounded roll-like guard whose outer covering or surface is of the same finish as the adjacent portions of the upper and whichpreferably constitutes an integral part of the material forming the outer member of the upper at this part 5. i

of the shoe, said guardroll including a core member which is substantially inextensible so as to assist the upper in resisting transverse stress, the core comprising soft cushion-like padding materiaL. The roll covering is provided with Ventilating openings designed to allow the escapof any moisture which may be absorbed from the foot by the padding material, but these ventilating openings are ofsuch character as not seriously to decrease the normal resistance of the roll-covering material to elongation transversely of the foot.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed outin the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein j Fig. 1 is a side elevation, to small scale, of a pump embodying. theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan View, to somewhat larger scale, showing the throat portion of the 25 upper and. the forward end of the foot-receiving opening; i Y a Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the forepart of the upper, to stilllarger scale, showing the throat end of the foot-receiving opening and 30 the improved guard-roll of the "present invention associated therewith; r a i Fig. 4 is afragmentary section, to greatly enlarged scale, on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view show- :35 ingone desirable for of core member for the roll; a i i Fig. 6 is a plan view, to smaller scale, showing the vamp-piece, usually of leather or the like, prepared for use in making the improved pump of the present invention;

Fig, 'l is a plan view of a leather lining member; i

Fig. 8 is a plan View of a fabric lining member;

Fig. 9 is a plan viewof a doubler piece; 5

Fig. 10 is a. fragmentary plan view of the inner side of the vamp atthe forepart, before assembly with the lining members, and showing the pad disposed in readiness. to be enfolded within the perforated vamp material to form the guard roll;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view of the forward part of, the completed upper prior to lasting, showing the stitched seams which unite the several parts; I r

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the core member employed in the roll shown in Fig. 14; and

Fig. 16 is a plan View of a core member of slightly different shape than that shown in Fig. 10 and which may be preferred under some circumstances.

Referring to the drawings the numeral l designates a pump of substantially usual type except for the inclusion of the present invention... This pump comprises the sole 2, the high heel'3 and the vamp 4, the latter having an upper edge which forms the foot-receiving opening 5, the

throat end of the foot-receiving opening being defined by the cushion-like guard-roll 6 constituting the present improvement.

" The upper of the'pump chosen for illustration by way of example, comprises a whole vamp 4 (Fig, 6) having the forepart portion 1 and the quarter portions! and 1 whose inner edges 8 and 9 border thefoot-receiving opening in the completed shoe... These edges 8 and 9 terminate forwardly at the points H and 12 respectively, between-which the forepart portion 1 of the vamp is furnished. with a projecting integral tab In. An area of the vamp and tab material at opposite sides of the imaginaryjline joining the points II and 12 is furnished with a multitude of j small perforations l3, such perforations here being shown as disposed. in rows defining a lenticular area. While it is preferred toprovide the perforations at both sidesof a line joining the points II and I2, it iscontemplated that under some circumstances the perforations may be omitted at one or the other side of this line.

.The upper as here illustrated by way of example also comprises the leather lining member I3 and the fabric lining member I4. The mem- "ber 13 has the forward edges l5 and I6 and the member has the rearward edges l5 and Hi the edges l5 and I6 overlapping the edges 15 and-l6 when the lining members are properly assembledand united. i The upper; as here illustrated, also comprises the doubler membervl'l (Fig. 9) having the forepart portion l which substantially conforms to the forepart portion ofthe lining member l4 and also having the foot-receiving opening 18 provided with the throat edge I9, it being noted that the opening I8 extends further forward than the foot-receiving opening in the vamp.

In accordance with the present invention, and

as illustrated in Fig. 10, a cushioning core 20 is provided for the purpose of plumping and rounding the guard-roltwhich, in accordance Y with the present invention, defines the throat end of the foot-receiving opening. This core is cord-like in character to the extent that it is elongate, transversely" flexible, resistant to stretch, much more nearly approximating the cylindrical than the sheet form, and in most embodiments is substantially uniform in cross sectional size and contour from end to end. As shown in Figs. 4,5 and 10, this core 20 comprises a stuffer 2| which may, for example, be a more or less cylindrical length of cotton batting or other inherently, springy cushion-like material, and a casing 22, forexample, a piece of sheet material such as firm cloth or soft leather folded about the stuffer 2|, and if desired having its edges stitched together as indicated at 22 This casing 22 is of a material whichhas little stretch as compared for example with rubber or fabric containing rubber thread, so that the completed core is substantially inextensible in the direction of its length. This core is disposed against the inner side of the vamp l, as shown in Fig. 10, before the lining is assembled with the vamp, and is of such a length as to extend laterally out beyond the points II and I2. If desired, this core may be temporarily secured in this position, prior to its permanent union to the other parts of the upper, by means of adhesive or the like, although this may not be necessary. After this core has been disposed as shown in Fig. 10, the tab ill of the vamp is curled inwardly so as to form a tubular bight and to embrace the core within said bight as shown in Fig. 4. As thus arranged, the perforated portion of the vamp material embraces the core and forms the covering of the guard roll while the unperforated free end portion of the tab In extends beneath the fcrepart of the vamp to a substantial distance forwardly of the throat opening andflies substantially parallel to the inner face of the vamp proper.

The lining members 13 and M, are assembled and joined by one or more'stitched seams 23 (Fig. 11). The complete lining is disposed at the inner side of the vamp with the edge I 3 just forward of the partly formed roll 6. The vamp 1, the forwardly projecting portion of the tab ID, and the lining member I3 are then permanently united by the stitched seam 24. This seam may extend around the entire top of the pump and may be that which is used in forming a French cord or other edge finish at the top of the pump, and extends transversely across the ends of the core 20 so as to anchor the latter securely to the vamp, it being noted that the forward bight of the seam is spaced forwardly from the throat end of the foot-receiving opening, said throat end of the opening being defined by the rear contour of the roll 6.

The doubler 11, if not earlier assembled with the vamp, may now be. introduced between the vamp and theforward partof the lining, being adhesively or'otherwise secured tothe vamp,

it being noted that, by reason of the deep throat throat end of the foot-receiving opening of the.

vamp without unduly increasing the thickness of the upper material at this point but at the same time providing two thicknesses of the vamp material outside of the line. of union of the "two lining members, thereby effectively concealing the location of this line of union of the lining members at theexterior of the vamp.

'Ihe seam 24, which firmly joins the tab I0 to the main body of the vamp 1, so draws and constricts the covering and core as to plump or distend the covering of the roll 6, so that in the finished upper this roll is generally elliptical or even nearly circular in transverse section thus providing a very broad, distinctly rounded, soft and comfortable cushion for engagement by the wearers foot.-; Moreover, since the material forming the core of the roll is substantially inextensible transversely of the shoe, there isno danger that the upper will stretch, even after a considerable period of wear, and thus the original fit and good looks are preserved; The perforations l3'in the outer or covering member of .as the adjacent portions of the upper, and as specifically illustrated. consists of an integral portion of the vamp material. The perforations I3,

even though ample to provide for proper ventilation, need not be so large as seriously to detract from the appearance of the shoe, and in fact may be so disposed as to afford a distinctly ornamental effect. On' the other hand, these perforations do not substantiallyweaken the vamp material constituting thecover for the roll, so that this material does not easily stretch and thus get out of shape.

While the core 20 illustrated in Figs. 4, and 10,,is a desirable construction, it is contemplated that cores ofother type may be employed, one

such arrangement being shown in Figs. 12 and 13. In this modified form, the core member 25 consistsmerely of a cord-like but substantially non-stretchable length of material, for example a soft rope comprising strands of soft cotton or paper twine, or a cylindrical length of other soft springy material, for example wood-pulp, regenerated cellulose, or the like, this core being disposed against the inside of the vamp in the same way as the core 20 of Fig. 10, and embraced in. the fold of the Vamp material so that the perforated portion of the vamp material encircles i the core 25, it being understood that the ends of the core will be anchored firmlyto the vamp by the seam 24 in the same way as already. described with reference to the core 20.

A further form of core is shown in gs. 14 and 15, wherein the core consists of two or more plies of resilient sheet material of appropriate type, preferably substantially inextensible, and which, forexample, may be a fabric made from cotton or other fibers. Material of this type is commonly used in shoes as linings or doublers and when employed as a core, in accordance with the present invention, is arranged in the same way as the core 29 of Fig. 10, and embraced by the perforated part of the vamp and secured permanently in place in the sameway as the i pad 2!]. A soft resilient core material is desirable as affording the requisite cushion-like effect.

In Fig. 16 a core of somewhat different external shape is illustrated comprising a central portion 2'3 and end portions 28 which are of less cross-sectional dimensions than the central portion, the central portion being that which is embraced by the perforated upper material and the end portions forming the anchoring parts and by reason of their lesser bulk helping to avoid the formation ,of any undesirable: lumps in the vamp adjacent to the forward corners of the throat.

While certain desirable embodiments of the invention have herein been described and illustrated by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to these precise embodiments but is to be regarded as broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within. the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A pump comprising an upper having a footreceivingopening', the upper including a vamp and a lining, the vamp having an integral tab which is curled inwardly to form a tubular bight with the free extremity of the tab in contact with the inner face of the vamp proper, said bight constituting the covering of a plump, cushion-like, guard roll having an internal core and defining the throat end of the foot-receiving opening of the lining, and means permanently securing the opposite ends respectively of the core member to the material of the vamp.

2. A pump comprising an upper provided with a foot-receiving opening, the upper including a vamp and a lining, each of said parts of the upper having a foot-receiving opening, the vamp having an integral tab which is curled inwardly about and snuglyembraces a flexible elongate core member of such transverse sectional shape and size as to-distend the encircling material of the pad so as to aid in forming a plump guard roll peripherally curved in transverse section and which defines the throat end of the foot-receiving opening of the upper, the core member comprising a stuifer member and a casing enveloping parallel and adjacent to the inner face of the vamp proper, and switches permanently uniting the ends of the core member to the vamp.

3. A pump comprising an upper having a foot receiving opening, the upper including a vamp and a lining, the vamp having a tab at the throat end of the foot-receiving opening, .said tab being curled inwardly to form a tubular bight with the free extremity of the tab interposed between the lining and the inner surface of the vamp proper, said bight constituting the exposed or outer element of a plump, cushion-like guard roll which defines the throat end of the foot-receivingopening of the completed pump, said roll being sub; stantially inextensible transversely of the pump, the longitudinal axis of the roll lying substantially in the upper extension of that geometrical surface which is defined by the inner face of that part of the vamp which overlies the tab, the material of the vamp which constitutes said exposed or outer element of the guard roll being provided with a multitude of small perforations the lining and the inner surface of the'vamp proper, said bight constituting the exposed or outer element of a plump, cushion-like guard roll which defines the throat end of the foot-receiving opening of the completed pump, and which is substantially inextensible transversely of the pump, the longitudinal axis of the roll lying substantially in the upper extension of that geometrical surface which is defined by the inner face of that part of the vamp which overlies the tab, the material of the vamp, in the vicinity of the junction of the tab and vamp proper, having therein a multitude of small perforations whereby to make it soft and flexible, the perforated area being substantially symmetrical with its axis of symmetry substantially coincident "with the throat end the vamp. I

5. A pump comprising an upper having a footreceiving opening, the upper including a vamp and a lining, the vamp having a tab at the throat end of the foot-receiving opening, said tab being curled inwardly'to form a tubular bight with the of the foot-receiving opening of free extremity of the tab interposed between the lining and the inner surface of the vamp proper, said b ight constituting the exposed or outer element of a plump, cushion-like guard roll which defines the throat end of the foot-receiving opening of the completed pump, the longitudinal axis of the roll lying substantially in the upper extension of that geometrical surface which is defined by the inner face of that part of the vamp which overlies the tab, the material of the vamp having a perforated area-of substantially lenticular contour at the junction of the tabwith the vamp proper, the longitudinal axis: of the perforated lenticular area being substantially coincident with the throat end of the foot-receivingopening of the vamp and the perforated material forming the wallof said tubular bight, the guard roll having therein cushioning material which assists in imparting to the roll a distinctly rounded peripheral contour in transverse section'.

JAMES SHAPIRQ.

I CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,206,756- July 9 4 JAMES SHAPIRO It is hereb' certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, second column, line 14.5, claim 2, for the word "switches" read --stitches-; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with thiscorrection therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of August, A. D. 191w.

r Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

